The subject matter herein relates generally to electrical connector assemblies, and more particularly to RF connectors.
Due to their favorable electrical characteristics, coaxial cables and connectors have grown in popularity for interconnecting electronic devices and peripheral systems. Typically, one connector is mounted to a circuit board of an electronic device at an input/output port of the device and extends through an exterior housing of the device for connection with a coaxial cable connector. The connectors include an inner conductor coaxially disposed within an outer conductor, with a dielectric material separating the inner and outer conductors.
A typical application utilizing coaxial cable connectors is a radio-frequency (RF) application having RF connectors designed to work at radio frequencies in the UHF and/or VHF range. RF connectors are typically used with coaxial cables and are designed to maintain the shielding that the coaxial design offers. RF connectors are typically designed to minimize the change in transmission line impedance at the connection by utilizing contacts that have a short contact length. The connectors have a short mating distance and, particularly when using multiple connectors in a single insert, typically include a pre-compressed spring to ensure the connectors are pushed forward and the contacts are engaged.
Known RF connectors having springs are not without disadvantages. For instance, known connectors not only allow compression along the axial direction of the connector, but also in lateral directions as well. During mating, the contact axes of the connectors may not be properly aligned with one another due to the lateral movement of the connectors. The spring thus forces the connector in an undesired direction and may cause damage to the contacts. Additionally, when both connectors are tilted off-center, there is a greater chance that the contacts are not properly aligned and may be damaged during mating.
A need remains for a connector assembly that may be manufactured in a cost effective and reliable manner. A need remains for a connector assembly that may be mated in a safe and reliable manner.